Slide fastener presser foot

ABSTRACT

A slide fastener presser foot has a guide member with a longitudinal guide channel therein for receiving interengaging elements of a slide fastener and movably mounted on a body, the body having a bottom surface for pressing the slide fastener and material together and the guide member having a bottom surface aligned with the bottom surface of the body in an operative position and spaced from the bottom surface of the body in an inoperative position.

United States Patent [191 Van Amburg [451 Jan. 7, 1975 SLIDE FASTENER PRESSER FOOT William F. Van Amburg, Meadville, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Textron Inc., Providence, R.l.

[22] Filed: Sept. 26, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 399,876

[75] Inventor:

52 vs. C]. .1112/235 51 Int.Cl ..D05b 35/08 58 Field of Search 112/238, 60,61,240

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,586,936 2/1952 Goldstein 112/235 Primary Examiner-Richard J. Scanlan, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A slide fastener presser foot has a guide member with a longitudinal guide channel therein for receiving interengaging elements of a slide fastener and movably mounted on a body, the body having a bottom surface for pressing the slide fastener and material together and the guide member having a bottom surface aligned with the bottom surface of the body in an op- I erative position and spaced from the bottom surface of the body in an inoperative position.

13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures sun]: FASTENER PRESSER FOOT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION fasteners to material and, more particularly, to a slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material.

2. Description of the Prior Art Most sewing machines utilize a presser foot to force material being sewn against an advance mechanism which is synchronized with the reciprocating movement of the needle to uniformly feed the material past the needle. Special slide fastener presser feet are normally utilized to sew slide fasteners onto material, such slide fastener presser feet having various configurations for cooperating with various types of slide fasteners to facilitate sewing of the slide fastener to the material adjacent the interengaging elements thereof. One disadvantage of prior art slide fastener presser feet is that such presser feet must be moved relative to the sewing machine presser bar assembly in order to permit passage of the sliders of slide fasteners, the sliders in protruding from the interengaging elements represent an obstruction to smooth engagement with the slide fastener presser feet. Another disadvantage of prior art slide fastener presser feet is that the required movement thereof renders the sewing operation at areas of SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally characterized in a slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material including a body adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly having a bottom surface; and a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener, the guide member being mounted on the body to be movable toward and away from the bottom surface of the body whereby the guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art by providing a slide fastener presser foot providing clearance for passage of a slider thereby while maintaining good pressure contact with the slide fastener and the material.

Another object of the present invention is to design a slide fastener presser foot providing positive guidance for locating sewing stitches in relation to a slide fastener with a minimum of skill required by an operator.

A further object of the present invention is to maintain positive control of sewing stitch line location with a slide fastener presser foot while a slider is moved thereby. 1

The present invention has an additional object in that a slide fastener presser foot is provided with a guide member mounted on a body having a bottom surface for pressing a slide fastener and material together such that the guide member is movable toward and away from the bottom surface of the body to provide clearance for passage of a slider of the slide fastener through the slide fastener presser foot.

Yet another object of the present invention is to slidably mount a guide member on a body such that the guide member is movable between an operative position having the bottom surface thereof aligned with the bottom surface of the body and an inoperative position having the bottom surface of the guide member spaced from the bottom surface of the body to permit protrusions to pass through the center of the body.

A further object of the present invention is to pivotally mount a guide member on a body such that the guide member may be moved from an operative position having its bottom surface aligned with the bottom surface of the body to an inoperative position with its bottom surface spaced from the bottom surface of the body so as not to interfere with passage of protrusions through the body.

An additional object of the present invention is to construct a body of a slide fastener presser foot with a pair of laterally spaced legs defining a longitudinal channel therebetween and to mount a guide member on the body to be movable in the longitudinal channel such that the bottom surface of the legs of the body press a slide fastener and material together for sewing when the guide member is moved to space the bottom surface thereof from the bottom surface of the legs of the body.

Some of the advantages of the present invention over the prior art are that the slide fastener presser foot can be easily manipulated with one hand to alter the position of the guide member to provide clearance for passage of a slider, the slide fastener presser foot can be economically constructed of two components, and the operations required in sewing a slide fastener to material with the slide fastener presser foot are reduced to a minimum.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slide fastener presser foot according to the present invention utilized for sewing a slide fastener to material.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the slide fastener presser foot of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the slide fastener presser foot of FIG. 1 with the guide member in the inoperative position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a slide fastener presser foot according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A slide fastener presser foot 10 according to the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, includes, as basic components, a body 12 and a guide member 14 movably mounted on the body. The body 12 has a bottom surface 16 formed by the bottom edges of a pair of laterally spaced legs 18 and 20 defining a channel 21 therebetween extending longitudinally through the body. The parallel, longitudinally extending legs 18 and 20 extend substantially transversely from an upstanding portion 22, and a mounting shank 24 extends from the top surface of the upstanding portion 22 and is adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly (not shown). A pair of parallel grooves 26 and 28 are formed in the upstanding portion 22 to define a T-shaped slideway, and a set screw 30 threadedly engages an internally threaded bore 32 extending longitudinally through the upstanding portion 22 at a position centrally disposed between the grooves 26 and 28. The set screw 30 carries a detent ball 34 on an end thereof resiliently biased away from the screw by a compression spring 36, the screw 30 being adjustable to control the distance the ball 34 protrudes into the slideway. A notch 38 is formed in the leg 18to accommodate a sewing needle.

The guide member 14 is slidably mounted on the body 12 and has a generally L-shaped configuration in side elevation with a base 40 extending substantially transversely from a slide 42 having flanges 44 and 46 extending therefrom to be slidably received in grooves 26 and 28, respectively. The base 40 has an inverted, generally U-shaped configuration in cross section with a window 48 formed in the top thereof communicating with a guide channel 50 extending longitudinally through the base 40 of the guide member 14. Base 40 operator to view the slider 72 as it moves through the slide fastener presser foot such that once the slider passes out of view through the window the operator can return the guide member 14 to the operative position by applying a downward force on base 40.

Another embodiment of a slide fastener presser foot according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 with like components given the same reference numbers and not described again and similar components given the same reference numbers with 100 added. In the slide fastener presser foot of FIG. 4, a guide member 114 is pivotallymounted on the body l2 to permit has a bottom surface 52 formed by the bottom edges of sitions for use in sewing slide fasteners of varying types the sides of the inverted, U-shaped base. Slide 42 has a recess 54 formed in a front surface thereof having a size and configuration to be engaged by the thumb or other finger of a hand, and a pair of detent recesses 56 and 58 are centrally formed in the rear surface of slide 42 and vertically spaced from each other, the recesses 56 and 58 having a semi-spherical configuration to cooperate with the ball 34 to form a detent mechanism holding the guide member 14 in an operative position, as illustrated in FIG. 2, with the bottom surface 52 in substantial alignment with the bottom surface 16 of the body 12 and in an inoperative position, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, with the bottom'surface 52 of the guide member spaced from the bottom surface 16 of the body.

In operation, the slide fastener presser foot 10 is attached to a'sewing machine presser bar assembly (not shown) such that a needle 62 of the sewing machine is movable through the notch 38. The guide member 14 is moved to the operative position, as illustrated in FIG. 2, such that the bottom surface 16 of the body 12 presses tapes 62 and 64 of a slide fastener against material 66 and 68 while the guide channel 50 has a configuration to receive interengaging elements 70 of the slide fastener. The sewing stitches may be positioned at any desirable location dependent upon lateral positioning of the slide fastener presser foot 10 relative to the needle; and, when a slider 72 of the slide fastener approaches the slide fastener presser foot, the operator need only utilize his thumb to slide the guide member 14 upward to the inoperative position. Pressure applied by the thumb at the recess 54 will overcome the force from spring 36 permitting the ball 34 to move inward, and the guide member 14 can be easily slid to the inoperative position where the guide member is held by the detent mechanism. With the guide member in the inoperative position, the sewing operation continues as before with the pressure from the bottom surface 16 of the body 12 providing feeding pressure and positive guidance to locate the sewing stitches in relation to the slide fastener as the slider 72 is moved through the slide fastener presser foot 10. The window 48 permits the movement between operative and inoperative positions. The guide member 114 has a base with an inverted, generally U-shaped configuration in cross section and a pair of upstanding pivot members 142 extending substantially transversely from opposite sides of the base 140 with pivot pins 143 extending from the ends thereof and received in bores 145 formed in a cavity 147 in the upstanding portion 22 of the body 12. A bore 138 is formed in the leg 18 of body 12 to provide a passage for the sewing needle, it being appreciated that needle receiving passages, such as the notch 38 and the bore 138, can be formed in the slide fastener presser foot of the present invention at any desired poand configurations.

The operation of the slide fastener presser foot of FIG. 4 is similar to that described above with respect to the slide fastener presser foot 10; however, rather than sliding the guide member 114 between operative and inoperative positions, the guide member is pivoted simply by grasping the free end thereof to facilitate passage of a slider thereby. By disposing the pivot pins 143 within the bores 145 with a friction fit, the guide member can be held in the operative position with the bottom surface 52 of the base 140 in substantial alignment with the bottom surface 16 of the body 12 and, when the guide member 114 is pivoted to an inoperative position away from the bottom surface 16 of the body 12, the guide member 114 will be held in the inoperative position by the friction fit.

If precise operative and inoperative positions are desired, any suitable detent structure can be utilized with the embodiment of FIG. 4; for instance, by simply providing bosses in the cavity 147 in the upstanding portion of the body 12 to engage the guide member. The guide member of the embodiment of FIG. 4 can also be loosely pivotally mounted on the body 12 with reduced friction such that the guide member will normally be in the operative position due either to the force of gravity or the force from a bias spring (not shown) such that when the guide member engages a protrusion, such as a slider of a slide fastener, the guide member will pivot away from the operative position to the inoperative position due to the force of the moving protrusion and will return to the operative position after the protrusion has passed through the slide fastener presser foot due to the force of gravity or the force from the bias spring. To this end, the guide member 114 is pivotally mounted at an end thereof such that the entire guide member structure is pivotal out of the channel 21 through the body thereby not interfering with passage of a slider or other protrusion therethrough.

The basic body and guide member components of the slide fastener presser foot of the present invention are advantageously integrally formed as one piece components, such as of molded plastic. While a specific detent mechanism has been shown and described for the slide fastener presser foot of the present invention, any detent means performing substantially the same function can be utilized with the slide fastener presser foot of the present invention.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter described above or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A slide fastener presser foot for attachment to a sewing machine presser bar assembly in order to sew the tapes of a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine pressure bar assembly and having a bottom surface that is arranged to contact the slide fastener tapes during sewing of the slide fastener tapes to material, and

a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener, said guide member being movably mounted on said body with the bottom surface of said guide member being movable from an operative position to an inoperative position that is spaced from and out of alignment with said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member in being moved to an inoperative position permits passage of a slider of the slide fastener while said bottom surface of said body maintains contact with the slide fastener tapes as the slide fastener tapes are being sewn to material.

2. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 1 and further comprising means for holding said guide member in an operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body and in an inoperative position with said bottom surface of said guide member spaced from said bottom surface of said body.

3. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 2 wherein said holding means includes friction means mounting said guide member on said body and holding said guide member in said operative and inoperative positions.

4. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface;

a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener; said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom sur face of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener;

means for holding said guide member in an operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body and in an inoperative position with said bottom surface of said guide member spaced from said bottom surface of said body; and said holding means including detent means carried by said body and said guide member for holding said guide member in said operative and inoperative positions.

5. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 1 wherein said guide member is movable from the inoperative position to the operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body.

6. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 5 wherein said guide member is slidably mounted on said body to be slidably movable between said operative and inoperative positions.

7. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser barassembly and having a bottom surface; a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener; said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener;

said guide member being movable to an operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body; and

said guide member being pivotally mounted on said body to be pivotally movable away from said operative position.

8. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface;

a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener; said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener; and

said guide member having an end pivotally mounted on said body such that said entire guide member is pivotal away from said bottom surface of said body.

9. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 1 wherein said body includes a pair of laterally spaced legs defining a longitudinal channel therebetween, the bottom surfaces of said pair of legs forming the bottom surface of said body, and said guide member being mounted to be movable in said longitudinal channel.

10. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface;

a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener; said guide member being mounted on said body to be .movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener,

said body having a pair of laterally spaced legs defining a longitudinal channel therebetween, said guide member being mounted to be movable in said longitudinal channel; and

said body having an upstanding portion connecting said legs and a slideway formed in said upstanding portion, and said guide member having a slide movable in said slideway.

11. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 10 wherein said guide member has a base extending substantially transversely from said slide and formed of an inverted, substantially U-shaped channel and having a window formed in the top thereof.

12. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 11 and further comprising a screw threadedly engaging said upstanding portion of said body and having an end protruding into said slideway carrying a resiliently baised detent ball, said slide of said guide member having a surface contacting said detent ball with spaced recesses therein for receiving said detent ball to hold said guide member in an operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body and in an inoperative position with said bottom surface of said 8 guide member spaced from said bottom surface of said body.

13. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface,

a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener, said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener,

said body having a pair of laterally spaced legs defining a longitudinal channel therebetween, said guide member being mounted to be movable in said longitudinal channel, and

said guide member having a base extending substantially transversely from a pivot portion, and further comprising means pivotally mounting said pivot portion of said guide member on said body. 

1. A slide fastener presser foot for attachment to a sewing machine presser bar assembly in order to sew the tapes of a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine pressure bar assembly and having a bottom surface that is arranged to contact the slide fastener tapes during sewing of the slide fastener tapes to material, and a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener, said guide member being movably mounted on said body with the bottom surface of said guide member being movable from an operative position to an inoperative position that is spaced from and out of alignment with said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member in being moved to an inoperative position permits passage of a slider of the slide fastener while said bottom surface of said body maintains contact with the slide fastener tapes as the slide fastener tapes are being sewn to material.
 2. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 1 and further comprising means for holding said guide member in an operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substaNtial alignment with said bottom surface of said body and in an inoperative position with said bottom surface of said guide member spaced from said bottom surface of said body.
 3. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 2 wherein said holding means includes friction means mounting said guide member on said body and holding said guide member in said operative and inoperative positions.
 4. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface; a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener; said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener; means for holding said guide member in an operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body and in an inoperative position with said bottom surface of said guide member spaced from said bottom surface of said body; and said holding means including detent means carried by said body and said guide member for holding said guide member in said operative and inoperative positions.
 5. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 1 wherein said guide member is movable from the inoperative position to the operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body.
 6. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 5 wherein said guide member is slidably mounted on said body to be slidably movable between said operative and inoperative positions.
 7. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface; a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener; said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener; said guide member being movable to an operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body; and said guide member being pivotally mounted on said body to be pivotally movable away from said operative position.
 8. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface; a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener; said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener; and said guide member having an end pivotally mounted on said body such that said entire guide member is pivotal away from said bottom surface of said body.
 9. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 1 wherein said body includes a pair of laterally spaced legs defining a longitudinal channel therebetween, the bottom surfaces of said pair of legs forming the bottom surface of said body, and said guide member being mounted to be movable in said longitudinal channel.
 10. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attAched to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface; a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener; said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener, said body having a pair of laterally spaced legs defining a longitudinal channel therebetween, said guide member being mounted to be movable in said longitudinal channel; and said body having an upstanding portion connecting said legs and a slideway formed in said upstanding portion, and said guide member having a slide movable in said slideway.
 11. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 10 wherein said guide member has a base extending substantially transversely from said slide and formed of an inverted, substantially U-shaped channel and having a window formed in the top thereof.
 12. A slide fastener presser foot as recited in claim 11 and further comprising a screw threadedly engaging said upstanding portion of said body and having an end protruding into said slideway carrying a resiliently baised detent ball, said slide of said guide member having a surface contacting said detent ball with spaced recesses therein for receiving said detent ball to hold said guide member in an operative position with said bottom surface of said guide member in substantial alignment with said bottom surface of said body and in an inoperative position with said bottom surface of said guide member spaced from said bottom surface of said body.
 13. A slide fastener presser foot adapted to be attached to a sewing machine presser bar assembly for sewing a slide fastener to material comprising a body adapted to be attached to the sewing machine presser bar assembly and having a bottom surface, a guide member having a bottom surface with a longitudinal guide channel means therein for receiving interengaging elements of the slide fastener, said guide member being mounted on said body to be movable toward and away from said bottom surface of said body whereby said guide member can be moved to a position to permit passage of a slider of the slide fastener, said body having a pair of laterally spaced legs defining a longitudinal channel therebetween, said guide member being mounted to be movable in said longitudinal channel, and said guide member having a base extending substantially transversely from a pivot portion, and further comprising means pivotally mounting said pivot portion of said guide member on said body. 